The Latest: 'Black Panther' star speaks at UN event

(AP Photo/Francisco Seco). Women bang pots and pans as shooting slogans during a protest marking the beginning of a 24-hour women strike at the Sol square in Madrid, early Thursday, March 8, 2018. Women in Spain have been called for a 24-hour feminist ...

(AP Photo/Francois Mori). The powerful message "Maintenant On Agit" ("Now We Act") is projected on the Eiffel Tower on the eve of International Women's Day to honor women's rights and promote the French equivalent of the Time's Up movement in Paris, We...

(AP Photo/Francois Mori). The powerful message "Maintenant On Agit" ("Now We Act") is projected on the Eiffel Tower on the eve of International Women's Day to honor women's rights and promote the French equivalent of the Time's Up movement in Paris, We...

(AP Photo/Francisco Seco). Women bang pots and pans as shooting slogans during a protest marking the beginning of a 24-hour women strike at the Sol square in Madrid, early Thursday, March 8, 2018. Women in Spain have been called for a 24-hour feminist ...

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File). FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2017 file photo, downed power lines and debris are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. Exactly six months after being hit by the hurricane the U.S. territory is sti...

(Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP). FBI agents work the scene of an explosion in Austin, Texas, Sunday, March 18, 2018. At least a few people were injured in another explosion in Texas' capital late Sunday, after three package bombs detonat...

At least two people injured in another explosion in Texas' capital after three package bombs that detonated earlier this month in other parts of the city killed two people and injuring two others.More >>

At least two people injured in another explosion in Texas' capital after three package bombs that detonated earlier this month in other parts of the city killed two people and injuring two others.More >>

(AP Photo/Eric Gay). Federal investigators work near the site of Sunday's explosion, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Multiple people were injured in the explosion Sunday night, and police warned nearby residents to remain indoors overnight as...

Austin police chief's plea for bomber to come forward may be an attempt to coax the perpetrator to give additional clues.More >>

Austin police chief's plea for bomber to come forward may be an attempt to coax the perpetrator to give additional clues.More >>

(AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File). FILE - In this March 6, 2017 file photo, Britain's Professor Stephen Hawking delivers a keynote speech as he receives the Honorary Freedom of the City of London during a ceremony at the Guildhall in the City of London. Haw...

The popular face of scientific genius, Hawking's work recognized but not understood by public.More >>

The popular face of scientific genius, Hawking's work recognized but not understood by public.More >>

Authorities said Friday that the cables suspending a pedestrian bridge were being tightened after a "stress test" when the 950-ton concrete span collapsed over traffic, killing at least six people and injuring 10

Authorities said Friday that the cables suspending a pedestrian bridge were being tightened after a "stress test" when the 950-ton concrete span collapsed over traffic, killing at least six people and injuring 10

"Black Panther" star Danai Gurira says the hit movie is showing the world that women and men "can work shoulder to shoulder" and their abilities "are equally valued in a society."

Gurira spoke at an event marking International Women's Day on Thursday at U.N. headquarters in New York.

She says the movie has made "a massive splash" because such a representation of powerful women is rarely seen.

The Zimbabwean-American actress and Tony Award-winning playwright says she was thankful to be handed the role of Okoye, who had nobility and put the needs of her country and people first.

She says she wants Okoye to remind the world "that those women already exist."

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Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon says the Time's Up campaign launched by women in Hollywood to combat sexual harassment raised $20 million in 10 days and has helped 1,500 women with harassment suits against their employers.

Witherspoon spoke at an event marking International Women's Day on Thursday at U.N. headquarters.

She says the response to the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund is "incredible" and shows "how many more people are going to need these services."

The "Big Little Lies" star, who told the audience that she was assaulted by a director when she was 16-years-old, says that women deserve 50 percent of the representation and 50 percent of the salaries. She says women "will no longer continue to do work without being paid properly for it."

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Tens of thousands of people marched in Argentina's capital on International Women's Day to condemn violence against women and to demand equal rights and legalized abortion.

The demonstrators Thursday banged on drums, chanted slogans and carried flags and banners along the streets of Buenos Aires, marching in front of the Congress building. Many women wore green handkerchiefs symbolizing the abortion rights movement.

Argentina allows abortion only in cases of rape or risk to a woman's health. But dozens of Argentine lawmakers from several political parties presented a bill Tuesday that would legalize elective abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Some demonstrators lay on the streets motionless while wearing white shirts stained with red paint to look like blood. The banners next to them read: "While you debate, we die."

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Hundreds of Brazilian women are marching to demand equal rights and protest gender-based violence to mark International Women's Day.

Marchers in Sao Paulo on Thursday were drawing attention to issues as varied as the wage gap, abortion rights, sexual harassment in the workplace and sexual assault on the streets. Groups are also marching in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil has one of the world's highest homicide rates for women, and stories of sexual assault against women on public transport frequently made news in the past year.

Christiane Correia de Souza derided the fact that many stores were handing out flowers to their female customers on Thursday. The 31-year-old factory worker said the practice glossed over the serious issues facing women, like unequal salaries and sexual assault on buses.

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Google is highlighting 12 female artists in its "doodle" to commemorate International Women's Day, and the online search leader launched a new tool that makes it easier to find local businesses that are owned, led or founded by women.

The new tool will be a permanent feature, and is also available for people who want to find businesses friendly to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer (LGBTQ) community.

The company also hosted a discussion with Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, the actresses Storm Reid and Gugu Mbatha-Raw and director Ava DuVernay to talk about their new film, Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time," on YouTube.

That said, Google, like other tech companies, has been criticized for hiring too few women, especially in technical roles, and is the subject of a lawsuit alleging that it underpaid women compared with their male counterparts.

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New York City's "Fearless Girl" statue, a tourist attraction for the last year, is donning a new outfit Thursday: a cape of blue flowers.

The cape, courtesy of retailer Old Navy, is part of the worldwide events for International Women's Day.

Meanwhile, a replica of "Fearless Girl" was installed in Oslo, Norway. The statue's creator, Kristen Visbal, says she's excited we have a piece "on the other side of the world."

The New York statue is staying put for now while city officials figure out where it's going next to spread its message of female empowerment.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that she expects "to announce (the) next steps very soon."

The statue's owner, investment firm State Street Global Advisors, says the company is working with the mayor's office "to determine a permanent solution."

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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the world is at "a pivotal moment for women's rights" and is urging men and boys to join in making gender equality "a reality for all."

The U.N. chief told a start-studded event at U.N. headquarters marking International Women's Day on Thursday that "for decades, women have been calling for the equality that is their right."

"Today, they are shaking the pillars of patriarchy," Gutteres said. "They are insisting on lasting change. This is what women and girls want. And that is what I want."

And to loud applause, he declared: "It is what every sensible man and boy should want."

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The White House used International Women's Day to announce that first lady Melania Trump will present State Department courage awards to women from around the world at a March 21 ceremony.

The award recognizes women who have shown courage and leadership in pressing for women's rights worldwide.

"Their courage only furthers my belief in the powerful impact women can make through solidarity and support of one another," Mrs. Trump said. "Our strength is something to be celebrated."

Rallies and other events were being held around the world Thursday to mark International Women's Day.

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Thousands of women are taking over the central arteries of cities across Spain for evening marches to protest against wage gaps and gender violence and to demand an end to glass ceilings for female workers.

"If we stop, the world stops" has become the slogan opening more than 300 protests.

They come after a full day of striking on Thursday to mark International Women's Day. Some 5.3 million people participated, according to two of the country's main workers' unions.

The March 8 Commission, a platform of feminist organizations that organized the marches across the country, said that women working at home, unpaid caretakers and students were a main focus of this year's protests.

Strikes were especially noticeable in media, with prominent female anchors and journalists absent from television screens and radio programs. Nearly 7,500 female journalists have signed a manifesto calling for equal pay and opportunities.

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Chanting "Women power!" and "We are defending women's lives!" a few thousand women marched through downtown Warsaw on Thursday to mark International Women's Day.

The demonstrators were protesting violence against women and demanding equal pay with men. Some carried black umbrellas, a symbol of their successful, massive protest in 2016 that blocked plans by the right-wing government to further tighten Poland's strict anti-abortion law.

Similar marches were held in other cities across predominantly Catholic Poland, as well as around the world.

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Kroger says it will light up its Cincinnati headquarters for International Women's Day, another example of how corporations are honoring the day.

The supermarket operator, which also owns the Ralphs, Owen's and Roundy's chains, says the 25-story building will be illuminated with the female Venus symbol Thursday night.

Many companies are trying to spotlight women for the day. McDonald's, for example, flipped its Golden Arches logo on its website to look like a "W."

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Black glasses covering part of her badly burned face, a victim of an acid attack joined hundreds of activists who rallied in Pakistan's port city of Karachi on Thursday to denounce violence against women and mark International Women's Day.

Acid attacks are not uncommon in Pakistan, where men sometimes assault women for refusing to marry them.

At Karachi's rally, held amid tight security, hundreds of Muslims and minority Christian women stood up as a sign of respect when the acid attack victim joined them.

Victims of acid attacks tend to avoid public gatherings. They are often treated at hospitals with financial assistance from non-governmental organizations.

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McDonald's has temporarily flipped its famous Golden Arches to look like a "W'' - a move it says it made to recognize International Women's Day.

The upside-down logo appeared Thursday on the fast-food giant's website and social media accounts. It also flipped the arches at one restaurant in Lynwood, California. McDonald's says that at about 100 of its 14,000 restaurants, packaging and worker uniforms will have the flipped logo.

McDonald's also says six out of 10 of its restaurant managers are women and it wanted to honor their accomplishments.

The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company says it's the first time it has flipped its Golden Arches logo since they debuted at a restaurant six decades ago.

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Hundreds of women have protested in Kosovo's capital to commemorate International Women's Day.

Some posters held up during the demonstration in Pristina said "We march, we do not celebrate" and "Job for me."

Luljeta Aliu of the nonprofit Justice and Equality organization says that "we fight for our rights as women. We want our rights at the workplace. We don't want to be sexually harassed."

Kosovo's ombudsman has acknowledged that women are still discriminated against in the property and job markets.

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Three current and former French ministers have performed in a play about women's sexual experiences amid the French government's push to highlight gender inequality.

The state secretary for women's rights, Marlene Schiappa, performed in the Vagina Monologues alongside Roselyne Bachelot, health minister under conservative president Nicolas Sarkozy, and Myriam El Khomri, labor minister under Socialist president Francois Hollande.

Schiappa is currently championing a new bill targeting sexual violence and harassment.

Theater producer Jean-Marc Dumontet, who organized Wednesday's performance in Paris, stressed the three politicians took a risk.

Dumontet told The Associated Press that "it brings women's issues to a very prominent position. They are really speaking out."

Bachelot said she agreed to perform the play with Schiappa because the fight for gender equality goes beyond political divides.

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Catholic women are challenging Pope Francis to give women a greater voice in Catholic Church decision-making, warning that they are leaving the church in droves because its all-male leadership refuses to change their entrenched second-class status.

Former Irish President Mary McAleese, an outspoken advocate for women's ordination and gay rights, was the keynote speaker Thursday at an International Women's Day conference that was moved off Vatican territory this year because a cardinal declined to sponsor it due to McAleese's participation.

In her speech, delivered at the Rome headquarters of Francis' Jesuit order, McAleese said "The Catholic Church has long since been a primary global carrier of the toxic virus of misogyny. Its leadership has never sought a cure for that virus though the cure is freely available: Its name is equality."

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French President Emmanuel Macron says his government is going to name and shame companies that don't respect the law on gender equality.

For International Women's Day, Macron has visited a property company awarded for its efforts toward gender equality.

He said that pointing the finger at companies that don't comply with the law "will make them change, because no one wants to be the worst student in the class."

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe unveiled Wednesday a government plan to push for gender equality in the workplace.

One measure would sanction companies with more than 50 employees, if there is an "unjustified" gender wage gap, with a substantial financial penalty.

Statistics show at the same age and equivalent job, there is a 9 percent gap between the wages of men and women in France

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Asia Argento, an Italian actress who helped launch the #MeToo movement, is launching a new movement, #WeToo, which aims to unite women against the power imbalance in favor of men.

Argento told Radio 24 on Thursday that her aim was "to finally change the patriarchal system so rooted in our culture, not just in Italy." She called on women to join her at a women's march in Rome later in the day, and participate in a strike to illustrate the contributions of women at home and in the workplace.

Argento helped give strength to other women to report sexual assault and harassment when she accused Harvey Weinstein of rape in an expose by The New Yorker. The accusations drew a backlash in Italy for having waited 20 years to come forward.

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Hundreds of women have marched in Pakistan's capital and elsewhere on International Women's Day, demanding more rights and denouncing harassment, which is common at homes and in work places.

Chanting slogans, they rallied in the capital Islamabad, Pakistan's largest city Karachi, and in the cultural capital of Lahore.

At Thursday's rallies, women denounced violence against them in Pakistan, where nearly 1,000 women are killed by close relatives each year in so-called honor killings.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi earlier addressed a gathering of women and assured them full protection.

Women in Pakistan have a reasonable presence in the parliament but they have to rely on fellow male lawmakers to amend discriminatory or flawed laws.

Pakistani women have largely been deprived of their rights since the country gained independence in 1947.

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Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle have met female students studying science, technology, engineering and math as part of celebrations marking International Women's Day.

Some 90 students met the royal couple on Thursday at Millennium Point in Birmingham as part of an event to inspire young people to take part in science and tech careers.

Markle seemed impressed by the aspirations of the students, many of whom wanted to be doctors or surgeons.

Harry and Markle are touring the country to introduce the American actress to the people of Britain before their marriage at Windsor Castle on May 19.

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africans must work together to improve the status of women who face discrimination and disadvantages "at home and in the workplace."

Ramaphosa, who took office last month, said Thursday that his compatriots should use International Women's Day to decide what they can do to advance gender equality.

Ramaphosa says South Africa has made progress toward equality since the end of apartheid in 1994 in building an equal society. He said "patriarchy has no place in the South Africa we are building today."

South Africa has a high rate of violent crime, including rape.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel says on International Women's Day that while much has been achieved, the struggle for more equality for women in Germany and worldwide must continue.

Merkel, considered one of the world's most powerful women, said Thursday in a video message that "many women before us have made sacrifices and fought persistently so that women would have more rights ... but there's still a lot to do."

The chancellor said that, "there are also new tasks for men" - but she didn't elaborate further.

Merkel added, "Therefore today is not only a day to look back at what has been achieved, but also a day on which we say - the struggle for equal rights of women continues."

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Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is urging men to stop physically abusing their wives, in official remarks Thursday while marking International Women's Day.

Domestic violence is common across in Uganda, although victims rarely report perpetrators to the police for fear of being stigmatized or thrown out of their homes.

The paper added that for one day only, men would pay 50 cents more, a reflection of the 25 percent less that women in France are paid than men, on average.

Liberation said it wants to "highlight this injustice" with its price increase for men.

"A punishment? No. A contribution!" the paper wrote on the front page, saying the extra money recovered from men on Thursday would go to the Laboratory of Equality, which has long fought for gender equality.

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U.S. national soccer team striker Alex Morgan and Brazil forward Marta are among the players chosen for the FIFPro Women's World XI. The team was announced Thursday to coincide with International Women's Day.

Goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl of Sweden is joined by defenders Nilla Fischer of Sweden, Lucy Bronze of England, Irene Paredes of Spain and Wendie Renard of France. Midfielder Dzsenifer Maroszan of Germany, Camille Abily of France, Pernille Harder of Denmark and Lieke Martens of the Netherlands round out the 11.

Morgan says having a Women's World XI team "helps female footballers recognize the talent among their peers and I'm really happy to encourage and be a part of that."

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Opposition presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak has conducted a solo picket outside the lower house of the Russian parliament to demand the resignation of a prominent lawmaker whom several female journalists accuse of sexual harassment.

The allegations against Leonid Slutsky, head of the Duma's foreign affairs committee, include sexual groping and making demeaning comments. Parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has dismissed the complaints, saying that journalists who feel unsafe covering the Duma should get other jobs.

Sobchak held her demonstration on Thursday, International Women's Day, which is observed as a public holiday in Russia. She held a placard reading "Deputies -- we don't want you."

President Vladimir Putin, with approval ratings of some 80 percent, is seeking a fourth term in the March 18 election.

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Spanish women are marking International Women's Day with the first-ever full day strike and dozens of protests across the country against the wage gap and gender violence.

Under the slogan "If we stop, the world stops," women working both in and outside their homes, unpaid caretakers and students are called to join the 24-hour strike by the March 8 Commission, a platform of feminist organizations that also demands equal opportunities for working women.

CCOO and UGT, two of the main workers' unions in Spain have called for morning and afternoon 2-hour work stoppages. In Madrid, a massive demonstration was expected later in the evening.

In Barcelona, protesters who disrupted traffic into the city center were seen in social media videos being pushed by anti-riot police agents.

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During Taliban rule many would have been afraid to leave their homes, but hundreds of women gathered in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday to commemorate International Women's Day - and to remind their leaders that plenty of work remains to be done to give Afghan woman a voice, ensure their education and protect them from increasing violence.

The head of the Independent Human Rights Commission, Sima Samar, directed some comments at women in Afghanistan's security forces.

"Your safety represents the safety of all Afghan women," she said, reminding women in uniform to report any abuse by superiors to the rights commission. She said no one has the right to comment on their physical appearance or to speak to them disrespectfully.

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This item has been corrected to show that the women gathered in Kabul but did not march.

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Hundreds of women have held street plays and marched in the Indian capital to highlight domestic violence, sexual attacks and discrimination in jobs and wages on International Women's Day.

They carried placards reading, "Unite against violence against Women," ''Man enough to say no to domestic abuse," and "My body, My choice."

Violent crime against women has been on the rise in India despite tough laws enacted by the government.

Office workers, school teachers and sex workers were among those participating in the 2-kilometer (1.25 mile) march, which ended near Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "India is moving from women development to women-led development. Through their exemplary deeds, several women have left an indelible mark in the history of humankind."

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Hundreds of South Koreans are staging a protest in support of the #MeToo movement on International Women's Day.

Protesters, many wearing black and holding black signs reading #MeToo, gathered in central Seoul. They called for bringing alleged sexual offenders to justice, as well as action on other issues such as closing a gender pay gap.

Since a female prosecutor's revelation in January of workplace mistreatment and sexual misconduct, South Korea's #MeToo movement has gained major traction. The list of women who speak out is growing daily.

Several high-profile men have resigned from positions of power, including a governor who was a leading presidential contender before he was accused of repeatedly raping his secretary.

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Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi says peaceful democracies make good use of women's strength in political, economic and social fields.

In a speech marking International Women's Day, she said, "A country's human rights values will be enhanced when women are granted their rights."

Thursday was the third year the annual event was celebrated under a civilian government in Myanmar, where the military that long ruled the country is still powerful.

Suu Kyi leads the political party that won by a landslide in 2015 elections but the constitution bars her from becoming the president.

Though Myanmar has a woman leading its civilian government, a profound gender gap remains in the country of 52 million people.

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Students at China's prestigious Tsinghua University are celebrating International Women's Day with banners making light of a proposed constitutional amendment to scrap term limits for the country's president.

One banner joked that a boyfriend's term should also have no limits, while another said, "A country cannot exist without a constitution, as we cannot exist without you!"

Photos of the banners were shared on Chinese social media Wednesday night before they were scrubbed by censors. Several online commenters also said the posters appeared to have been swiftly removed.

China's ceremonial legislature is poised to pass a constitutional amendment that will allow President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely during its ongoing annual session.

Despite heavy censorship, the move has been criticized by liberal intellectuals as a return to dictatorship and satirized online.

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Marches and demonstrations in Asia are kicking off rallies around the world to mark International Women's Day.

Hundreds of women activists in pink and purple shirts protested Thursday in the Philippines against President Rodrigo Duterte, who they said is among the worst violators of women's rights in Asia.

Protest leaders sang and danced in a boisterous rally in downtown Manila's Plaza Miranda. They handed red and white roses to mothers, sisters and widows of several drug suspects slain under Duterte's deadly crackdown on illegal drugs.

A rally for the rights of female workers was scheduled for later Thursday in central Seoul in South Korea, where a rapidly spreading #Metoo movement is galvanizing support for women's issues.

Other events are planned across Asia, the Mideast, Europe and the Americas.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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